Conventionally, a game that uses a combination of input means operated by hand and input means operated by foot has been known.
For example, patent document 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-49117) discloses an information processing apparatus that includes a hand input unit having an inclination sensor, and mat unit having a foot switch. According to this information processing apparatus, the hand input unit is operated by hand and the mat unit is operated by a foot stepping motion.
Furthermore, non-patent document 1 (Nintendo Co., Ltd. “Aerobic exercise: Rhythm boxing”, search result of Oct. 27, 2008, internet URL: www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/rfnj/training/aerobics/aerobics07.html) discloses a game apparatus that includes a controller with a built-in acceleration sensor, and a board having a built-in load sensor. According to this game apparatus, the controller is operated by being held in hand, and the board is operated by placing a foot thereon.
However, according to the invention in patent document 1, a way of holding the hand input unit by a player is judged whether it is identical to a way of holding the hand input unit by a motion instructing character displayed on a screen, based on inclination information from the inclination sensor. And if the hand input unit is held by the player in a wrong direction, an instruction is given to the player to correct the way of holding. As a result, there is a problem in which only an operation instructed in the screen is allowed, and there is a small degree of freedom for operation. Furthermore, patent document 1 discloses, for the operation of a foot switch provided within the mat unit using the left and the right foot placed on the mat unit, a disposition of two foot-switches ([0026]), or four foot-switches in a straight line ([0162], FIG. 31). However, only on or off of the foot switches is detected, and there is a small range of detectable values. The invention in patent document 1 does not provide a sensor that detects a load, and does not cause the character to conduct a variety of motions in response to a large range of load values detected by the sensor.
Furthermore, according to the invention in non-patent document 1, a player moves the hand-held controller in a predetermined direction as if throwing a punch, following a motion by a trainer displayed on a screen, thus, only the predetermined operation instructed on the screen is allowed and cannot cause the character to conduct a variety of motions in response to motions of the controller, therefore, the invention in non-patent document 1 has a small degree of freedom. Additionally, the foot operation on the board is one that moves a predetermined foot off the board following a motion by the trainer displayed on the screen, thus, only the predetermined operation is allowed, therefore the invention in non-patent document 1 has a small degree of freedom.
Hence, an objective of certain example embodiments is to provide an information processing apparatus and a computer readable storage medium, which are capable of achieving a diverse and complicated operation intuitively, by having operating means that detects motion and operating means that detects load.
Furthermore, another objective of certain example embodiments is to provide a game apparatus and a computer readable storage medium, which are highly entertaining when played.
In order to achieve at least one of the above objectives, the following configuration is adopted in certain example embodiments. Reference numerals in parenthesis and supplementary explanations merely describe one instance of a correspondence relationship with later-described embodiments, in order to help in their understanding and do not limit the scope of the current invention in any way.
In certain example embodiments, an information processing apparatus includes: a display apparatus (34), first operating means (70), second operating means (76), third operating means (36), display control means (40), first attitude calculation means (40, S27), second attitude calculation means (40, S47), load detection means (36b), first motion instructing means (40, S11), second motion instructing means (40, S12), and third motion instructing means (40, S13). The display control means displays a character object on the display apparatus. The first attitude calculation means calculates the attitude of the first operating means. The second attitude calculation means calculates the attitude of the second operating means. The load detection means detects a load applied to the third operating means. The first motion instructing means causes the character object to conduct one or more motions among a plurality of motions, in response to the attitude of the first operating means calculated by the first attitude calculation means. The second motion instructing means causes the character object to conduct one or more motions among a plurality of motions, in response to the attitude of the second operating means calculated by the second attitude calculation means. The third motion instructing means causes the character object to conduct one or more motions among a plurality of motions, in response to a load applied to the third operating means and detected by the load detection means.
With this, it is possible for a user (operator) to cause the character object to conduct a variety of motions intuitively, by having the user (operator) incline the first operating means and the second operating means, and apply a load to the third operating means.
The first attitude calculation means may calculate an inclination direction of the first operating means based on a value obtained from an acceleration sensor (701) built into the first operating means. The second attitude calculation means may calculate an inclination direction of the second operating means based on a value obtained from an acceleration sensor (761) built into the second operating means. The first motion instructing means may cause the character object to conduct two different motions in each of the following cases: when the inclination direction of the first operating means is an inclination direction about a first axis, and when the inclination direction is about a second axis which is different from the inclination direction about the first axis. The second motion instructing means may cause the character object to conduct two different motions in each of the following cases: when the inclination direction of the second operating means is an inclination direction about a third axis, and when the inclination direction is about a fourth axis which is different from the inclination direction about the third axis.
With this, it is possible for the user to cause the character object to conduct a variety of motions intuitively.
The load detection means may have at least three load sensors (36b), and the third motion instructing means may cause the character object to conduct two different motions in each of the cases, when a load value detected by the load sensor is in a first state and when the load value detected by the load sensor is in a second state.
With this, it is possible for the user to cause the character object to conduct a variety of motions intuitively.
The load detection means: may have at least three load sensors (36b), and the third motion instructing means may select at least one group that includes at least one load sensor among the at least three load sensors (e.g. a group that consists of two load sensors positioned on the right side of the player, or a group that consists of two load sensors positioned on the left side of the player); may calculate, a sum of load values detected by the load sensors included in each group; and may control a fourth motion of the character object (S65, S69) based on at least one sum of load values of a group. The third motion instructing means may further select, among the at least three load sensors, at least one other group which is different from the above described group (e.g. a group that consists of two load sensors positioned in front of the player, or a group that consists of two load sensors positioned in the back of the player); may calculate each sum of load values detected by the load sensors included in each of the selected groups; and may control a fifth motion of the character object (S76), which is a motion different from the fourth motion, based on at least one sum of a selected groups.
With this, it is possible for the user to cause the character object to conduct a variety of motions intuitively. Especially, by using the third operating means, at least two types of motion instructions can be inputted simultaneously.
At least one among the first attitude calculation means, the second attitude calculation means, or the load detection means may cause the character object to conduct another additional motion as a result of a combination of operation buttons (B button of FIG. 14, Z button of FIG. 17).
With this, the user can conduct further diverse and complicated operations.
A motion conducted by the first motion instructing means may be a motion associated with a first part (right hand) of the character object, a motion conducted by the second motion instructing means may be a motion associated with a second part (left hand) of the character object, and a motion conducted by the third motion instructing means may be a motion associated with a third part (foot) of the character object.
With this, the user can control a complicated motion of the character object easily and intuitively by using the first operating means, the second operating means, and the third operating means.
The first operating means may be operated by the right hand of the player, the second operating means may be operated by the left hand of the player, and the third operating means may be operated by a foot of the player. Furthermore, the first motion instructing means may be associated with a motion of the right hand of the character object, the second motion instructing means may be associated with a motion of the left hand of the character object, and the third motion instructing means may be associated with a motion of a foot of the character object.
With this, the user can operate the character object intuitively since the character object moves in coordination with an actual movement by the user.
The information processing apparatus may further include: first compensation means for compensating the attitude of the first operating means calculated by the first attitude calculation means, in response to a load applied to the third operating means and detected by the load detection means; and second compensation means for compensating the attitude of the second operating means calculated by the second attitude calculation means, in response to a load applied to the third operating means and detected by the load detection means.
With this, it is possible for an input operation to be as intended by the user, by taking into consideration the body position of the user.
The information processing apparatus may further include third compensation means for compensating a load applied to the third operating means and detected in a detection result of the load detection means, in response to an attitude calculated by the first attitude calculation means and/or the second attitude calculation means.
With this, it is possible for an input operation intended by the user, by taking into consideration of the body position of the user.
In certain example embodiments, an information processing apparatus includes the display apparatus (34), the first operating means (70), the second operating means (76), and the third operating means (36). In certain example embodiments, a computer readable storage medium is a storage medium that stores a computer program, and the computer program causes a computer (40) that is a part of the information processing apparatus to function as the display control means (40), the first attitude calculation means (40, S27), the second attitude calculation means (40, S47), the load detection means (40, S60), the first motion instructing means (40, S11), the second motion instructing means (40, S12), and the third motion instructing means (40, S13).
The display control means (40) displays the character object on the display apparatus. The first attitude calculation means calculates the attitude of the first operating means. The second attitude calculation means calculates the attitude of the second operating means. The load detection means detects a load applied to the third operating means. The first motion instructing means causes the character object to conduct at least one motion among a plurality of motions, in response to the attitude of the first operating means calculated by the first attitude calculation means. The second motion instructing means causes the character object to conduct at least one motion among a plurality of motions, in response to the attitude of the second operating means calculated by the second attitude calculation means. The third motion instructing means causes the character object to conduct at least one motion among a plurality of motions, in response to a load applied to the third operating means and detected by the load detection means.
With this, the user can cause the character object to conduct a variety of motions intuitively, by inclining the first operating means and the second operating means, and by applying load to the third operating means.
In certain example embodiments, the user can cause the character object to conduct a variety of motions intuitively.
The objective described above, other objectives, characteristics, and advantages, of certain example embodiments may become known when taken in conjuction with the following detailed description and drawings.